Advocacy
We work closely with policymakers, regulators, and partners to create enabling regulatory environments for DFS.
The UNCDF Policy Accelerator is a facility that enables deep and long-term collaboration with partners who share our vision and appreciate the need to work with timelines that align with the country-level reform process. We are currently implementing several intersecting multi-year projects that serve as the foundation of our project portfolio. These are:
The Africa Policy Accelerator, a collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with a specific focus on the basic regulatory enablers for DFS in African markets
The G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa, a collaboration with the G7 and French Ministry of Finance, focusing on women’s economic empowerment in francophone markets in West and Central Africa
DFS4 Resilience, a collaboration with European Commission and the Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), with a focus on inclusive digital finance as COVID-19 recovery and resilience in select countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific
A partnership with Women’s World Banking and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support local stakeholders in advocating for women’s digital and financial inclusion (WDFI)
Africa Policy Accelerator
With the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we have created the ‘Africa Policy Accelerator’ to work closely with governments on the basic regulatory enablers for digital financial services (DFS). Through this project, we offer targeted technical assistance and capacity building for policymakers and regulators in countries and regions with great potential to ‘leapfrog’ to digital finance and benefit in areas including women’s financial inclusion and regional harmonisation.
The Africa Policy Accelerator is the founding project that established the Policy Accelerator concept. It covers more 14 markets, including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania, Niger, Sierra Leone, Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), and West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU).
G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa
With the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance, we are augmenting our Africa Policy Accelerator work to actively promote women’s economic empowerment.
UNCDF is contributing to the G7 Partnership for Women’s Digital Financial Inclusion in Africa as part of France’s 2019 G7 Presidency. Through this project, we support policymakers and regulators to conduct country-level research on barriers to women’s economic empowerment to address critical policy and regulatory gaps. This work focuses heavily on francophone markets in West and Central Africa.
DFS-4-Resilience with the European Commission and the Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States
Supported by the European Commission and the Organization of Africa, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), we will be working with other teams at UNCDF on inclusive digital finance in select countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
UNCDF will support key policy reforms for digital transformation as well as create inclusive financial services tailored to the needs of women and youth, including innovative savings products and credit.
Partnership with Women’s World Banking
UNCDF Policy Accelerator is working with Women's World Banking to co-create a strategic advocacy program that will support stakeholders in priority countries to advocate for women’s digital and financial inclusion (WDFI) and ensure that WDFI is a priority among country, regional, and global decision-makers. This partnership and is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
